Are your AmeriHealth 65 Medicare Advantage patients getting enough physical activity to stay healthy and fit? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults should get at least two hours and 30 minutes of activity, such as brisk walking, every week, plus activity that works the muscles in the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms on two or more days per week.¹

Your patients may not be that active, and they may have questions about their ability to exercise. Encourage them to talk with you at their annual exam. Your answers to their questions can help them decide how to improve their fitness levels. Here are a few questions you can anticipate:

• How do I start to increase my activity?
• How often should I work out?
• What can I expect at a gym or fitness center?
• Are there any restrictions on what exercises I can do?

To get your patients moving, recommend that they participate in the SilverSneakers^® Fitness program. Encourage patients to track their activity and energy level and then provide you with an update at their next visit.

SilverSneakers can help patients get active

An excellent way for AmeriHealth 65 Medicare Advantage patients to get the activity they need is to use their fitness benefit ? Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness program. With nearly 20 years of performance-based programming experience, SilverSneakers delivers innovative physical activity and social interventions to attract members and keep them engaged in improving their health. The program provides a basic fitness membership that allows participants to:

• access more than 11,000 fitness locations nationwide, including women-only sites;
• use exercise equipment and other amenities such as pools and walking tracks;
• take signature SilverSneakers group fitness classes designed specifically for active older adults and led by certified instructors;
• learn about relevant health topics;
• participate in fun social activities and events;
• receive guidance and assistance from a SilverSneakers Program Advisor^TM, a dedicated staff member at the fitness location.

SilverSneakers makes it easy for members to enroll and start using the program. Each eligible AmeriHealth 65 Medicare Advantage member receives a mailing from SilverSneakers that includes their personal member ID card and a list of the four fitness locations closest to their home. Members can simply take the ID card to the location of their choice and present it at the front desk. Members who have either not received an ID card or may have misplaced it can call 1-888-423-4632 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, to request that a new ID card be mailed and to obtain their SilverSneakers ID number, which can be used at the location until the new ID card arrives in the mail.

Note: SilverSneakers is a benefit offered to AmeriHealth 65^® NJ HMO and AmeriHealth 65^® Preferred HMO members at no additional cost.

¹www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/olderadults.html

SilverSneakers^® is a registered mark of Healthways, Inc.